The effects of aroma shiatsu massage therapy on cognitive function have not been previously investigated. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the effect of aroma shiatsu massage therapy on cognitive function in adolescents aged 17 to 19 years.
A total of 100 healthy adolescents were allocated into study group (SG) (n=50) and control group (CG) (n=50). The SG underwent a single 10 minutes session of aroma shiatsu massage therapy on selected acupuncture points, while CG underwent rest in sitting position for 10 minutes. Audio reaction time (ART), Visual reaction time (VRT) and Critical flicker fusion frequency (CFFF) were assessed before and immediately after the intervention. Within-group differences were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test, and between-group differences were assessed using ANCOVA.
Results of the study showed a significant reduction in ART and VRT (p < 0.05 for both) with no significant changes in CFFF (p = 0.785) in SG, whereas CG showed a significant reduction in VRT (p < 0.05) with no significant changes in ART (p = 0.991) or CFFF (p = 0.648). Moreover, the between group analysis showed no significant change in CFFF, ART and VRT.
The authors concluded that a single 10 minutes session of aroma shiatsu massage therapy showed significant cognitive improvements within the treated group, but these were not significantly different from the control group. However, larger, longer-term studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Would it not be nice to have a therapy that improves cognitive function? In fact, it would be great and many people would go for it. But, please, don’t go for this one; the study is awfull!
Where to begin?
Let me point out just the most obvious flaws in this study
- Why use adolescents when wanting to improve cognitive function? This parameter is impaired mostly in the eldely!
- If the study had generated a positive finding, would it have been attributed to shiatsu or to aromatherapy. Well-planned trials are designed to answer specific questions.
- A controlled clinical trial is for comparing outcomes between groups. For looking within group changes, we do not need a control group. Analysing within group changes in a controlled trial is irrelevant nonsense. Thus these findings should be discarded.
- What did this controlled trial control for? It certainly did not control for placebo effects!
- Why use “rest in sitting position for 10 minutes” as the control intervention? This is not remotely similar to the verum! A possible control treatment might have been to use shiatsu massage on non-acupuncture points with a nice smelling fragrance that is not an aromatherapy oil.
So, here is my conclusion of this study:
If you design a lousy trial, you get a lousy result.
3 Responses to ‘Aroma shiatsu’ for enhancing cognitive function?
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“Audio reaction time (ART), Visual reaction time (VRT) and Critical flicker fusion frequency (CFFF) were assessed”
Since when is critical flicker fusion frequency a COGNITIVE FUNCTION?
good point, thanks
Let’s just say that anyone falling for this SCAM could indeed do with some improvement in cognitive functioning.